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New Soluble Varnish Removal Range from Hytec Fluid Technology

The new Hy-Pro Soluble Varnish Removal (SVR™) Systems now available from Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT) offers complete recovery and maintenance for turbine lubricants. SVR™ will be available across Africa through HFT.

The prevalence and potential economic impact of varnishing in industrial applications is so significant that OEMs recommend the use of varnish removal systems from start to mitigate risk. “There was a need for a simple, easy-to-use product to prevent and remove dissolved and breakdown products in lubricants, which, if allowed to accumulate, from varnish”, says Wynand Kapp, Divisional Manager: Industrial Filtration (HFT).

Ion Charge Bonding (ICB™) is a family of ion exchange resin technologies used to purify industrial lubricants. Initially developed in the 1990s, it has widely been used to purify turbine and compressor lubricants as well as phosphate ester fluids. ICB™ restores demulsibility during normal turbine operation without damaging additives.

In one case study, a site with a steam turbine was experiencing varnish build-up on mechanical components. Three months after installing an SVR™ System, varnish deposits had been absorbed back into the lubricant. After 4 months of operation, a decreasing trend began, totally cleansing varnished mechanical components. SVR™ treatment reduced the fluid varnish potential value to below 10 over the subsequent 3 months.

Varnish Test Kits (VTK) are intended for long-term repeated use in-house by customers. This VTK has an upgraded spectrometer for ease in testing and accuracy with an expected life cycle of more than 5 years. Only annual soft calibration and bi-annual hard calibration is required. “Testing in-house provides a quicker status report of fluids being analysed”, says Kapp. “Specifically calibrated for MPC testing according to ASTM requirements, the VTK assists in a proactive maintenance schedule.”

With SVR™ customers work with industry experts to receive comprehensive oil analysis and results interpretation. SVR™ can be completely customised to perfect the perfect solution. “ICB™ resins are engineered meaning we can select specific fluid types and reservoir volumes”, explains Kapp. From first customer contact via questionnaire to delivery is between 8 and 10 weeks.

SVR™ Systems with ICB™ Filters have a small footprint and straightforward operation. SVR™ Systems have the lowest cost of operation and ownership over 10 years with defined consumable costs. “The SVR™ System also has the best warranty in the industry – 3 years on all parts”, says Kapp.

From an HFT standpoint, the ability to supply a lubrication conditioning skid that removes so much more than just soluble oxidation products is a victory for customers, operations and productivity.